Shloka 2

Adhyaya 27 — Madālasa’s Instruction to King Alarka: Royal Ethics, Self-Conquest, and Statecraft

Sanskrit

स कौमारकमासाद्य ऋतध्वजसुतस्ततः ।

कृतोपनयनः प्राज्ञः प्रणिपत्याह मातरम् ॥

Transliteration

sa kaumārakam āsādya ṛtadhvaja-sutas tataḥ | kṛtopanayanaḥ prājñaḥ praṇipatya āha mātaram ||

Translation

ต่อมา บุตรของฤตธวัชะ ครั้นถึงวัยเด็กโตและได้ประกอบพิธีอุปนยนะแล้ว ผู้มีปัญญานั้นก้มกราบมารดาและกล่าวถ้อยคำดังนี้

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun

• kaumārakam: boyhood
• kaumārakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaumāra-ka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; ‘boyhood/juvenile age’

• āsādya: having attained
• āsādya: Kriyā-anuvṛtti (क्रियानुवृत्ति—prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + sad (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; ल्यप्), ‘having reached/attained’

• ṛtadhvaja-sutaḥ: the son of Ṛtadhvaja
• ṛtadhvaja-sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtadhvaja + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (ऋतध्वजस्य सुतः)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) meaning ‘then/thereupon’

• kṛta-upanayanaḥ: whose initiation (upanayana) was performed
• kṛta-upanayanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त, कृ धातु) + upanayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (कृतम् उपनयनम् यस्य)

• prājñaḥ: wise
• prājñaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• praṇipatya: having bowed
• praṇipatya: Kriyā-anuvṛtti (क्रियानुवृत्ति)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + nipat (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), ‘having bowed down’

• āha: said
• āha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular

• mātaram: to (his) mother
• mātaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speakers

• Jaḍa (continuing narration); Ālarka acts/speaks next

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bhakti", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Saṃskāra
• Upanayana
• Reverence to parents/elders
• Preparation for dharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Upanayana is portrayed as a pivot into disciplined responsibility, paired with humility (praṇipāta). Wisdom is inseparable from reverence and readiness to be instructed.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not a pancalakṣaṇa unit; it is a character-development node within an instructive royal narrative (vaṃśānucarita mode).

What is the esoteric significance?

Upanayana (‘leading near’) signifies turning the mind toward the light of knowledge; bowing to the mother acknowledges prakṛti as the first guru—discipline begins with gratitude.